Tenant Abandonment and Foreclosure Clean-up

Managing an apartment buildings or rentals can be difficult especially when a tenant abandons the property and leaves all their belongings behind. Most landlords are left with trashed furniture, clothing, appliances, and other articles throughout the apartment or home. The huge task of cleaning up their mess must take place before the unit can be placed back on the market for renting. With our tenant cleanup service, this unfortunate occurrence doesn't have to be as difficult as it seems. Give us a call and we will do our best to schedule an appointment quickly, and get your unit cleaned out and ready for the next occupant.

Benefits of our service for landlordsCleanup services can be very valuable to landlords when dealing with an abandonment. In cases of tenant abandonment, this service can help get rid of any items that have been left for landlords to take care of. Most places that are abandoned are left filthy with trash and belongings. Our service was designed to quickly and efficiently remove all unwanted items and dispose or donate them accordingly.

Benefits of our service for tenantsOur service was originally designed for landlords, however more and more tenants have been using it over the past few years. Sometimes unplanned circumstances happen and tenants are forced to vacate their rentals in a hurry. Feel free to have us take care of whatever items you are unable to move or leave behind. Not only is it the right thing to do, it's quick and easy. You might even get a good reference from your landlord out of the deal. Legal rules when needing to throw out items As a landlord you are required to give proper notice before getting rid of a tenant’s personal items if the value of the items is worth over $500. Reasonable care should be taken to ensure the items are not damaged, lost or stolen when they are removed and/or stored. The following article is for informational purposes only. For a complete guideline please check with the government of British Columbia.

Step 1: Complete an inventoryYou must make a written inventory of property abandoned by the tenant. It’s a good idea to take photos of the items as the photos will help to show the condition of the property when it was left behind.

Step 2: Storing abandoned itemsGenerally, you must store the items in a safe place for 60 days to allow the tenant a chance to claim them. However, you can choose to get rid of the items in an appropriate manner if the:​

Items are worth less than $500

Cost of removing or storing the items is more than the items are worth

Storage of the items would be unsanitary or unsafe

Step 3: Give noticeYou must provide notice that you are planning to sell or get rid of abandoned items. Notice must be given in accordance with the Personal Property Security Act and can be done any time after the items are abandoned (i.e. during the 60-day storage period), but at least 30 days before they are sold. The notice must include:

The name of the tenant

The address of the rental unit

The name and address of the landlord

A description of the items to be sold or disposed of

Step 4: Sell or dispose of the abandoned itemsAfter giving proper notice, you can choose to dispose of or sell the items. You can keep any money made from the sale of items to cover the costs of:

Storing and disposing of items

Unpaid rent or utilities

Other money owing

Step 5: Document everythingFinally, you should keep all documents related to this process – like receipts for moving or storage and proof of how much the items were sold for.The landlord must keep a written record of the entire disposal process for two years after getting rid of the items.